Zaire Province

Zaire is one of the 18 provinces into which Angola is administratively divided. Its capital is the city of Mbanza Kongo, formerly known as São Salvador do Congo –San Salvador del Congo (Portuguese)–.

The province took its name from the transcription made by the Portuguese during the XV century of the word river, which in indigenous language is nzare.

Municipalities with estimated population in July 2018

Physical geography

The province of Zaire is located in northwestern Angola. It limits to the north with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (through the Zaire River), to the east with the province of Uíge, to the south with the province of Bengo and to the west with the Atlantic Ocean.

The capital of the province, Mbanza Kongo is located 481 kilometers from the city of Luanda and 314 kilometers from the city of Uíge

It has a surface area of 40,130 km² with an estimated population of 362,852 in 2006.

Climatology

The province has two seasons, one from November to May, rainy season; and the other that runs from June to October, the dry season. The predominant types of climate in it are the humid tropical climate and the semi-arid climate. The temperature oscillates between 24º and 26 °C.

Hydrology

The main rivers that pass through the province are the navigable Congo; the Mbridge, Lufunde, Zadi, Cuilo and Buenga.

Ecology

Fauna and flora

The fauna and flora of the Zaire region is varied, from savannahs to dense tropical rainforests.

Municipalities

In the province of are the municipalities of:

• Mbanza KongoConcelho de Cambambeanciently São Salvador do Congoheadquarters.
• I am.Concelho de Soyoanciently Santo António do Zaire).
• Tomboco (Tomboco)Concelho de Tombocoanciently Ambrizete).
• N'Zeto (Concelho de N'Zeto).
• Noqui (Concelho de Noqui).
• Cuimba (Concelho de Cuimba).

Communes

The municipalities of Zaire province are subdivided into 23 communes:

• Cuimba, headquarters:
  • Buela.
  • Luvaca, shared headquarters.
  • Sierra de Canda.
• M'Banza Kongo, headquarters:
  • Caluca.
  • Luvu.
  • Mandinba.
  • Whoever.
• N'Zeto, headquarters:
  • Mussera.
  • Remove Loje.
  • Quindeja.
• Noqui:
  • Lufico.
  • Mpala.
• Soyo, headquarters:
  • Feitico.
  • Quelo.
  • Sumba, shared headquarters.
• Tomboco, headquarters:
  • Quximba, shared headquarters.
  • Quinzau.

Provincial demographics

The national language, which is also spoken in the province, is Kikongo and the predominant ethnic group in the region is Bakongo.

According to data from the general population and housing census of May 2014, the province of Zaire had 567,225 inhabitants, which corresponds to 2.3 percent of the population of Angola. The total number of women residing in the province was 285,333, and the total number of men was 281,892. 26.1 percent of the population lives in urban areas, with a population density of 15 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Politics

The provincial government is made up of a governor and three deputy governors. The governor of the province in 2019 was Pedro Marita Amando Júlia.

History

The Kongo (or Bakongo) people occupied the Congo River Valley (or Zaire) in the mid 13th century and formed the Congo Kingdom which existed from 1390 to 1891 as an independent state; and until 1914 as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Portugal. The Kongo monarchy was abolished in 1914 after Portugal put down various revolts. From 1885 Portuguese Angola included the district of Congo which was divided in 1919 into the districts Cabinda and Zaire, located respectively north and south of the Congo River (Zaire).

During the Angolan War of Independence (1961 - 1974), a large part of the Bakongo fled to the then Republic of Zaire –the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1997–. After reaching the Treaty of Alvor, which recognized the independence of Angola, many of the refugees and their descendants returned to their places of origin.

Industry

The exploitation of natural resources has placed the province of Zaire among the most important economies in Angola. The provincial industry focuses on the exploitation of resources such as oil, mining - asphalt, iron, phosphates, lead and zinc; also in the extraction of gold, silver and diamonds. The agricultural industry focuses on the exploitation of cashews, cassava, palm oil, pineapple, peanuts, rice, soybeans and sweet potatoes. Livestock and fishing.

Oil and natural gas

The Soyo area is one of the country's oil producers. In 2005, the province produced 15,000 barrels of crude. In 2019, the company ENI (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi) (Italy) found a well in the waters north of the Angola coast, in the province of Zaire, in the Lower Congo Maritime Basin, at 180 kilometers off the coast of Zaire, with a reserve of between 450 and 650 million barrels of oil.

In the province, around 5.2 million tons of cubic meters of natural gas were obtained in 2018 through a gas plant located in Soyo. The gas comes from the region's oil platforms. Gas manufacturing, however, in 2018 had not yet reached 100% of production, being below the performance capacity of the plant.

Electricity

In 2017, the then Vice President of the Republic of Angola, Manuel Domingos Vicente, inaugurated a combined cycle thermal power plant in Soyo. The combined cycle power plant in the province of Zaire was the first of its kind to come online in the country. Combined cycle technology allows the heat produced to be recovered, using Natural Gas, instead of emitting it into the atmosphere. The production capacity of the plant is 750 megawatts, which allows it to supply electricity to Soyo as well as to other areas of the country.

Transportation

Airport

The province of Zaire has three airports:

• Soyo Airport.
• Mbanza Congo Airport with three paved tracks and regular flights to Luanda.
• N'zeto Airport, for private flights.

Culture

Gastronomy

The typical dishes are sacafolha, made with cassava leaves; dishes based on fresh and dried fish accompanied by funge de bombó, a dish made with corn or cassava flour and water; and dishes based on game meat.

Tourism

Among the points of interest in the province are:

• Musserra Bay, 56 kilometers from N'Zeto: used for bathing and water sports.
• Sirenes Beach in Soyo.
• Beach of the poor, located in a privileged area of the city of Soyo, on the left bank of the river Zaire.
• [1] Boca del río Congo.
• Cataracts of the river Mbdrige in Soyo: used to canoeing and rafting.
• Kwanda on the Pululu channel.
• Kimbumba Channel, located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Soyo.
• Caves of Zau Evua, 80 kilometers from M'Banza Congo.
• Senga caves.

Monuments and places of interest

Among the historical and cultural monuments are:

• Kwambimbi Museum: Old King House in Mbanza Kongo.
• Yala Nkuw (tree of strength or blood): place where the king of Kong executed verdicts.
• Ruins of the Cathedral: First Church of Angola, built in 1491. It was visited by Pope John Paul II.
• Puertos Rico and Pinda: They served as ports for the export of slaves.
• Ponta do Padrão: first port that served the Portuguese in 1482 for the discovery of Angola by Diogo Cão.